Using an extension ladder
To work safely more than 10 feet from the ground or on the roof, set up an extension ladder. Inspect the ladder: Do not use it if a shoe is worn or missing, a rung is loose, or a rung lock or the rope-and-pulley system is faulty.
Place the unextended ladder on the ground, perpendicular to the wall where it will be positioned, with its fly section (the part that slides) on the bottom and its feet out from the wall 1/4 of the height to which it will be raised.
With a helper bracing the bottom of the ladder with his or her feet, use both hands to raise the top of it above your head. Walk under the ladder toward the bottom of it, moving your hands along the side rails, until it is upright.
Stabilizing the bottom of the ladder
Stand on the first rung of the ladder to test its stability. If the ladder does not stand steady on firm, level ground, place a board under the feet. If necessary, dig up the soil with a spade to level it.
To stabilize the bottom of the ladder, drive a wooden stake into the ground between it and the wall, and use a rope to tie each side rail to the stake, using a slipproof knot such as the bowline.
Stabilizing the top of the ladder
If you are working at the eave or plan to get off the ladder onto the roof, stabilize the top of the ladder. If the ladder rests against a gutter, first fit a 2-by-4 inside the gutter to keep it from crushing under the weight of the ladder. Then install an eye screw or drive a 3-inch nail into the fascia near each side rail, just above or below the gutter. Using 3/8-inch-diameter nylon rope, tie each side rail of the ladder to the eye screw or nail.
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Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
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